Sixteen-point ladybug
| Sixteen-point ladybug | ||||||||||||
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Sixteen- spotted ladybird ( Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
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The sixteen-point ladybird ( Tytthaspis sedecimpunctata ), also called seventeen -point ladybird , is a beetle from the ladybird family (Coccinellidae).
description
The beetles are about 2.5 to 3.5 millimeters long and have a spherical, strongly arched body. This is bright yellow in color and has numerous black spots. On the head of the female there is one in the middle, while in the male the basal border is darkly colored. There are six spots on the pronotum , which are fused together differently depending on the animal, and there are another 16 spots on the wings that are highly variable and partially merge with one another. Usually it is the four spots on the sides of the animals. The wing cover seam is black, just before the scutellum it is imperceptibly widened. The whole surface of the body is finely dotted. Their antennae are short and have 11 segments.
Occurrence
The beetles are found all over Europe , except in the far north and Asia . They are mainly found in sandy areas , on the coast on dunes and on rivers , but also in cultivated landscapes and on pastures, hay meadows and in gardens. They do not occur above 400 to 500 meters above sea level .
Way of life
The beetles overwinter in sometimes very large groups ( aggregation ) between plant parts. You can find them between March and October.
food
The beetles feed on aphids .
literature
- Karl Wilhelm Harde, Frantisek Severa and Edwin Möhn: The Kosmos Käferführer, The Central European Beetles. Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-06959-1
- Jiři Zahradnik, Irmgard Jung, Dieter Jung et al .: Beetles of Central and Northwestern Europe. Parey, Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-490-27118-1
